Anybody planning to buying at launch only to sell at a markup? Is that wrong?

jean15paul

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I was reading Peter's editorial from this week, and he goes in pretty hard on those who camp out in line only to buy as many as possible at launch and sell at a markup when Apple runs out or to other countries with limited or no availability. ( NSFW: Putting things in perspective | iMore ) It got me wondering...

Does anyone here do that?

Is it wrong to do that? (Someone could argue that you're artificially inflating demand and reducing supply only to take advantage for profit.)

If you're willing to admit that you do it and have in the past? Share the details. How much did you make from a product launch?
 

Bigeric23

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I would argue that it's not right to take advantage of the situation. Moreover, it damages the launch experience for other people, too. I don't cherish money enough to fleece my fellow man/woman.
 

anon(4698833)

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Nothing wrong with taking advantage of the "supply and demand" market...it's not artificially inflating anything, it's simply providing supply of what people are demanding.

There's no such thing as "artificial inflation"...people wouldn't buy a product at an inflated cost if there was supply, and when there is limited supply, they will.
 

jean15paul

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Nothing wrong with taking advantage of the "supply and demand" market...it's not artificially inflating anything, it's simply providing supply of what people are demanding.

There's no such thing as "artificial inflation"...people wouldn't buy a product at an inflated cost if there was supply, and when there is limited supply, they will.

Tell that to the Commodities Futures Trading Commissions, Kraft foods, and Mondelez International. ;) What it means to say Kraft manipulated the wheat market | Marketplace.org
 

BreakingKayfabe

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Nothing wrong at all. I was about to purchase one at 12:01AM with the intention of selling it for a profit but then the questions of demand and whether I felt like making the effort to sell it started to weigh on me so I decided against it.

I don't fault anyone ever for trying to make a profit on something.
 

Scatabrain

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No - it is wrong. Grabbing limited inventory and exploiting it by jacking up the price is scalping. And it sucks.


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jean15paul

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@SeanHRCC and BreakingKayfabe, if you don't mind me asking. Have you actually done this in the past? With 1 extra or dozens?
 

BreakingKayfabe

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@SeanHRCC and BreakingKayfabe, if you don't mind me asking. Have you actually done this in the past? With 1 extra or dozens?

With the gold 5S, I have. I sold a gold one when they were white hot. I sold an iPhone 6 in 2014 around October also.

I say if there are people dumb enough to pay the price instead of being patient, use it to my advantage. I'm sure people have to put up with stupid people everyday so I see things like this as my reward for putting up with it.
 

Ipheuria

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No - it is wrong. Grabbing limited inventory and exploiting it by jacking up the price is scalping. And it sucks.


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I don't see how it's wrong. I agree that it does suck. However no one is forcing the people who can't wait to buy it. The people who are buying also aren't buying all of Apple's stock. If someone bought 10-20 units then I would agree that they took units that could have been preordered purely to sell at a marked up price. If someone buys two and sells 1 or even both I don't see it as wrong. It's simple the seller doesn't set the price the buyers do. If buyers aren't willing to buy at the prices the seller has no one to sell to.
 

anon(4698833)

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No - it is wrong. Grabbing limited inventory and exploiting it by jacking up the price is scalping. And it sucks.

It's not scalping...scalping is specific to selling tickets at an inflated cost when people can immediately get the same tickets for cheaper. The reason people pay exuberant amounts for these Apple products is because they are NOT available for purchase at regular cost or not available within a reasonable time frame (for said buyer)...supply and demand.

@SeanHRCC and BreakingKayfabe, if you don't mind me asking. Have you actually done this in the past? With 1 extra or dozens?

I've done it a few times with iPhones. I've never purchased a product with the intention of selling it for more than the retail price, but I have done it before to suit my own needs (IE: wanted the space grey iPhone 5S after purchasing the gold 5S, so I sold the gold 5S and used the profit I made to buy a space grey 5S with more storage).

The truth is...there's absolutely NOTHING wrong with selling these products to people willing to pay higher dollar for them. These people are paying for convenience, period. Don't want to wait in line for 8 hours to get an iPhone? Pay more for one someone else already has...can't get an Apple Watch by your wife's birthday at the end of April? Pay more to someone who already has one.

Calling this scalping would be like calling selling anything that appreciates in value scalping...which is why such an idea is ridiculous.
 

Just_Me_D

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kilofoxtrot

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It's not scalping...scalping is specific to selling tickets at an inflated cost when people can immediately get the same tickets for cheaper.

So when I go to a sold out concert/game and buy a $75 ticket for $100 thats not scalping? Cause thats what it felt like to me.
 

Scatabrain

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I don't see how it's wrong. I agree that it does suck. However no one is forcing the people who can't wait to buy it. The people who are buying also aren't buying all of Apple's stock. If someone bought 10-20 units then I would agree that they took units that could have been preordered purely to sell at a marked up price. If someone buys two and sells 1 or even both I don't see it as wrong. It's simple the seller doesn't set the price the buyers do. If buyers aren't willing to buy at the prices the seller has no one to sell to.

It's wrong because it sucks.


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Scatabrain

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It's wrong because it sucks.


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When you beat someone to the purchase you are forcing some to pay more and others to go without. That's taking advantage. Imagine if buying igadgets was like buying concert tickets. With the 4/24 shipping only lasting minutes, at midnight PST and then showing up on ebay the next day at hugely inflated prices, I'd say we are already experiencing problems from scalpers. Iphone launch lines, same problem


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Just_Me_D

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Let's say you purchased an Watch for $399, took it home, took it out of the box, turned it on, placed it on your wrist, and then decided that you didn't want it. Your neighbor tells you that he would buy it from you. And you agree to sell it to him for $399, the price that you bought it for. However, the neighbor objects because he considers your Watch a used item because you opened the box, turned it on and then wore it. He demands that you sell it to him for $350. Would you appease him or try to sell it to someone else who will give you the $399 you're asking for? Furthermore, would you sell it to someone who tells you that he'd buy it from you for $499?
 
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SwitchBeach

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No one is being "forced" to pay more. People who purchase products at "inflated" prices are CHOOSING to do so. It's a CHOICE. People can CHOOSE to WAIT.

Stop making this out to be worse than it is. STOP IT.
 

Just_Me_D

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No one is being "forced" to pay more. People who purchase products at "inflated" prices are CHOOSING to do so. It's a CHOICE. People can CHOOSE to WAIT.

Stop making this out to be worse than it is. STOP IT.

You nailed it!....Those people are paying to not have to wait. Period.
 

anon(4698833)

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So when I go to a sold out concert/game and buy a $75 ticket for $100 thats not scalping? Cause thats what it felt like to me.

Nope...by definition, it's only scalping if you went to said concert/game, bought the $100 ticket but the $75 tickets were still available for purchase AT the event. People have taken the term and falsely attributed it to scenarios that are simply not relevant.

When you beat someone to the purchase you are forcing some to pay more and others to go without. That's taking advantage. Imagine if buying igadgets was like buying concert tickets. With the 4/24 shipping only lasting minutes, at midnight PST and then showing up on ebay the next day at hugely inflated prices, I'd say we are already experiencing problems from scalpers. Iphone launch lines, same problem


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This is absurd...and I'll tell you why. NOBODY is entitled to these devices as soon as they are available...not one single person. I bought an Apple Watch for my wife...if I decide to sell it instead of giving it to her, and someone is willing to pay even $1 of increased value over retail, they are paying for convenience and accessibility. No one is FORCING them to buy it, nor is anyone making them pay for the ability to have something they don't have access to right now...

You're trying to make it seem like the seller prevented this person from buying something that was rightfully theirs to buy, and that is absolutely asinine (and part of the problem with the world today...the entitlement issues I see day to day are mind numbing).